The Dose: ‘Orange is the New Black’ hits its stride in the fifth season

“Orange is the New Black” fans and binge watchers everywhere were recently left with another gripping, cliffhanging finale upon finishing the show’s fifth season. The highly anticipated batch of episodes finally premiered on Netflix last Friday.

As many other “OITNB” fans have come to agree, this was the show’s best season yet.

The first episode picked up where last season ended, after Poussey (Samira Wiley) was shot and Daya (Dascha Polanco) held a gun to a correction officer’s face. She shoots him in the leg, and he bleeds out.

Meanwhile, Caputo (Nick Sandow) is holding a press conference on the death of Poussey, unaware one of his men has been shot. Furthermore, Taystee (Danielle Brooks) is upset that Poussey’s name was not mentioned to the press and a riot ensues.

The inmates proceeded to go on a full out rampage, holding all of the correction officers hostage, raiding their offices and taking cellphones, guns, food and other small freedoms that were taken away the moment they entered Litchfield Prison.

News of the riot broke to the outside world whenever Taystee and her squad went to Caputo’s office to talk about why Poussey’s name wasn’t mentioned. She took a tablet and posted a video on YouTube.

This is how the whole season kicked off, kind of slowly, but in a methodical manner that kept you in your seat. As expected and in classic prison show fashion, the show still has a lot of sex and violence. But unlike past seasons, this one maintained a strong central theme.

The events of the riot made viewers constantly wonder what would happen next, who would get shot next and who would try to escape – among other anxiety-driven questions. It created a roller coaster of plots, with everyone going against each other, coming together after and then against each other again.

Longtime fans know Piper (Taylor Schilling) and her fiance (Jason Biggs) broke up beforehand, so she finally proposes to her old flame Alex (Laura Prepon) while they – alongside eight other inmates – hide in an old abandoned pool during the riot. The inmates come up with some creative ways to live a little, including reaching out to the media. The ensemble devise a list of demands, saying they want to be treated better, earn an education and be offered basic human rights.

All in all, this was the best season and one I enjoyed watching unfold more than any other. Compared to previous seasons, this one had much more action and is the definition of what it means to binge watch Netflix Originals.

What’s next? What will happen to our favorite characters? Will the inmates get the justice they begged for? Will Piper and Alex plan their wedding? Find out next summer on “Orange is the New Black.”

Featured Image: Piper (Taylor Schilling) and Taystee (Danielle Brooks) watch in awe as we watch Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black.” JoJo Whilden/Netflix.